Windows XP, R.I.P. — except on low-cost PCs

Microsoft says it will provide Windows XP Home for low-cost computers for at least two more years, but it’s sticking to its June 30 cutoff date for sales of the older operating system for mainstream PCs — rebuffing calls to keep offering Windows XP as a Windows Vista alternative.

That means XP soon won’t be available on store shelves or pre-installed on PCs, unless they’re part of a category that Microsoft is defining as “ultra low-cost” machines, such as the Asus Eee PC and Intel Classmate PC. Those PCs generally lack the hardware needed to run Windows Vista adequately.

The company is making the announcement today, the same day Intel is unveiling its latest Classmate PCs. Microsoft is focusing primarily on its decision to extend Windows XP’s life for those low-cost machines, but the other part of the announcement is likely to get lots of attention, particularly among people who have been lobbying for the company to continue selling Windows XP. See, for example, InfoWorld’s “Save Windows XP” petition. Those efforts reflect the general wariness over Windows Vista and its shaky reputation.

Microsoft previously extended Windows XP’s life by five months, to the current June 30 cutoff. More details about today’s announcement …

The official word from Microsoft is that it will sell Windows XP Home for ultra low-cost PCs through June 30, 2010, or one year after general availability of the next Windows version, whichever is later. Is that a sign that Windows 7, the code name for Windows Vista’s successor, might launch sometime in 2009, rather than the 2010 time frame the company previously gave? If it is, the company isn’t admitting it.

“The answer is no,” said Michael Dix, a Windows general manager, in an interview today. “We’re sticking to our proclamation that we’re shooting for three years after general availability of Windows Vista for the next version.” (Windows Vista debuted in stores Jan. 30, 2007.)

The upcoming June 30 date isn’t as hard-and-fast as it might seem. That’s when Microsoft will stop selling Windows XP Home and Professional to PC makers and retailers for mainstream machines, but those companies may continue to distribute and resell copies that they’ve purchased from Microsoft before that point, Dix said. PC buyers, for example, may continue to see XP as an option for some period of time beyond that date.

Windows XP’s end-of-mainstream-sales date doesn’t apply to system builders, people and companies that create individual PCs from scratch. That cutoff is Jan. 31, 2009.

Would it really kill Microsoft to just keep selling Windows XP as an option? “What we’re hearing from (computer makers) is that they’re comfortable with this change, and that it serves the needs of their customers,” Dix said in response to that question. “The partners want to make sure that they’re simplifying their support, and by transitioning over to Vista with the industry, and making sure that everybody has their focus on that — on building the best experiences for Vista — it’s really going to serve customers well.”

How will Microsoft decide which machines qualify as “ultra low cost” computers that can continue getting Windows XP? “We’ve established, in partnership with (computer makers), some guidelines that are part of our agreements with them, that we’re not publicly disclosing,” Dix said. “That’s really just defining, through hardware specifications, the category.”

Update, 4:21 p.m. In the comments, one reader is asking about what this means for Windows XP support from Microsoft. Here’s what a company representative sent along when I asked: “Customers will receive mainstream support for Windows XP until April 2009, and will be able to receive extended support from Microsoft under our extended support policy until April 2014.” This site explains more about what that means. The company says the Windows XP support timeline didn’t change with today’s announcement.